So Long Second Year!

Well this is a week late, but Austin is all done with his second year of med school! No more classes, and no more book work!! I think it is still a little surreal for him to imagine not going to another class. He has been doing the whole school scene for more than half his life! Once again he rocked his finals, and even got a surprise e-mail telling him that he was awarded a scholarship! I think at first he thought it was a joke, but turns out it was actually legit! I was so so proud of him, and very excited that he was rewarded for all his hard work these past two years. It really was a blessing. Because of all his hard work I also wanted him to reward him. Austin is so hard to buy gifts for, so when we found these shorts that he liked I didn't care how much they cost I was buying them! He deserved it! I can tell you that he was very excited the day they came, so I'd say they were a successful gift :D

For a few days after finals, Austin took some time off to hang out with me. We went baby shopping, out to eat with friends, saw The Avengers, and then Monday we had a doctor appointment. This time I had to take my glucose test, and we got to see our little man in 3D!! Austin said the whole time I was watching the ultrasound I just had a huge smile on my face. Here are a few of the pics.

 Side profile and arm up by his head

Austin and my family thinks he has my nose, but other than that I think he looks like Austin. I guess we will really find out in 12 weeks!! I can't believe how much he continues to grow! Right now he is about 2.3 pounds and is breached. The doctor told me I need to get in the swimming pool, and do some summersaults to get him to flip haha so I guess I need to give that a try. Since I'm only 28 weeks the doctor isn't too concerned, and thinks he will turn eventually. Going into the appointment I knew he was breached because I feel his head or arm bulging out of my stomach all the time! Sometimes it kind of freaks me out, but it also just means we are getting that much closer to meeting him!

As for me, I am just getting bigger and bigger :) I can now balance things of my belly haha that is when you know you are really pregnant!

For the next two weeks I'm just gonna be hanging out in Texas with the fam, while Austin prepares for boards!! I will be so so glad when that test is over, but in the mean time Austin continues to study hard and I continue to be the cheerleader wife! :D

An Unexpected Hospital Visit

I like to think that I have been extremely blessed with this pregnancy so far. I should have known that sometime in the nine months I'm pregnant that I would have some sort of trial! Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church, I felt like I had pulled a muscle in my back. It continued to get worse sitting in those hard chairs at church, and was on and off pain the next couple of days. All day Tuesday I was totally fine and relieved to think things were getting better, but by bed time it was back to that horrible pain. Needless to say I was up all night, and by morning I couldn't handle it anymore. That had to be some of the worse pain I have ever experienced. I called the doctor, and left a message because we were starting to think this might be sometime more than just a pulled muscle. When the nurse called back an hour later she told me to come in, and they would test for a UTI which isn't uncommon for pregnant women to get.

Well the doctor checked everything out, and all seemed normal with me and the baby. He did want me to go over to the hospital, and just get an ultrasound of my right kidney just to make sure I didn't have kidney stones, or possibly hydronephrosis. That is basically when the baby puts pressure on your ureter causing things to back up into your kidney, and cause major swelling or other problems. When we went to the hospital they ended up checking us into the labor and delivery triage. They started monitoring the babies heart beat, my uterus and checking my urine. Turns out I was having some contractions because I was really dehydrated. They immediately wanted to get the contractions down, and started me on an IV. I think I was most nervous to get the IV because I've never had one before, and I've heard they hurt. It actually wasn't bad at all.

A little while later the ultrasound tech came in to look at my kidney. She was really nice, and let us see our little guy too. I've only ever seen his profile, but this time we saw his face straight on. It was so freaking cute!! You could see him swallow a couple of time, and stick his tongue out. Plus Austin said he looks like he has my nose :) For such a crappy day, that certainly made up for it! The doctor finally came in and told me I had a lot of things going on... I did indeed have hydronephrosis, some small kidney stones, and the start of a UTI. All of this was being made worse by the fact that I was so dehydrated. From then on out I was suppose to drink a gallon of water a day, start laying on my left side to get our little guy to move, and no more working. The nurse came back to give me some antibiotics, and a shot to stop my contractions. Austin was so surprised to see me taking all of this like a champ! The nurse said it was because I'm a mother haha. Her saying that made me feel better, and gave me the confidence I need to know that when it is time to deliver this baby I will be able to do it! I am starting to realize what is means to be a mother, and even though our little boy isn't here yet I'm already sacrificing for him.

It was a relief to finally figure out what was going on, and to get some medicine to treat all my issues, but since then I have basically been on mild bed rest. I don't know how people handle full bed rest because I am going crazy just knowing I can't be out too long before my back starts hurting. It is quite the roller coaster of emotions right now, but hopefully I will be back to normal soon. It is crazy to think that in a short three months we will be back at that hospital doing things all over again, but by then it will come with a sweet reward :)

24 Weeks, A Trip to Texas & A Two Year Anniversary!

Well a month has passed since I last blogged, and a few things have been going on around the Horrocks house. Austin's semester is winding down, and he is almost finished with another year of med school! While he was studying away, I took a trip home to Texas. My parents went on a once in a life time trip to Egypt & Israel while I watched my little sister Jessica. 

I was able to spend a few days with my parents before they left which was good. My dad had been telling me about this awesome cinnamon roll recipe he found, so I of course had to test them out. Let me tell you... they did not disappoint! I swear it is the exact recipe that Cinnabon uses on their cinnamon rolls. When my parents get back I plan on getting that recipe and trying it out for Austin :) 

The rest of the time I got to hang out with this crazy girl! (see Jessica that is why you don't take crazy pictures with my phone, and then try to set them as the background!)

I also got to hang out with this crazy dog! Sometimes I don't think she liked my big belly that was in her way of laying on my lap. 

I also got to drive around my mom's sweet new ride! It was quite the change from driving my bug :) I told Austin that if I learned anything from this trip, it is that as a mom you should invest in a car you love because more than half of you day is spent driving kids to all their different activities. It was crazy! 

I also invested in a new diaper bag for me and the babe :) Along with some more maternity clothes... mainly jeans and capris. The belly band just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. 

While I was in Texas, I made sure to take advantage of the food I can't get in Arizona. I was extremely excited when I found honey butter at the grocery store there! Austin's mom introduced it to me last year while we were in Illinois, and since then I could never find it in Arizona!

 Jessica took me to her favorite burger joint, Kincaids!

 I couldn't go without having some Chicken Express. Their corn nuggets are amazing! 

Lastly, we had to make a batch of cupcakes before I left. Jessica is the self proclaimed cupcake queen around our house, so we tried out an Oreo cupcake recipe. They were delish! 

Jessica and I had a fun time bonding, and just hanging out around the house. I only stayed for a week because my anniversary fell during my parents trip so my grandma came for the second half. I got home the day before our two year anniversary!! I can't believe another year has come and gone! I was telling Austin it is weird because I feel like our wedding was just the other day, but I also feel like we have been married a lot longer than two years. Austin went out and found the blender I had been looking at for a few weeks now. Back in November, I accidentally blew up our old blender trying to mash sweet potatoes in them for Thanksgiving. Well since that time I have been craving smoothies like crazy! I don't know if it was the heat or being pregnant, maybe a combination of both but it was driving me crazy knowing I couldn't make my own. I finally just told Austin that I didn't want anything fancy for our anniversary, I just wanted a blender. I know... lame but sometimes you have to be practical when you are a poor med school student! I have tested this sucker out a couple times now and love it!!

 Two whole years!! 

 Getting ready to go out for the night :)

 We went to a steak house near by called Firebirds. It was pretty good! Austin was a little disappointed because the waitress talked him into getting a prime rib instead of a filet mignon, but it was still good. Plus Austin was nice enough to break his "diet" for some awesome cheesecake! Austin is trying to lower his cholesterol right now, and cheesecake does not help with that... but we figured one night won't kill him! 

That night we watched our wedding DVD like have done every year. It was fun to look back on that day, and see how far we have come. I can't believe that from here on out it won't just be the two of us... but I can honestly say that we have made the most of our two years together, and really grown together. Even with a baby on the way I hope that we always stay this close, and don't forget those promises we made together in the temple two years ago :) Love you Austin!!

Last but not least, I reached the 24 week mark! I can tell my belly has really popped over the past two weeks. Our little guys movements are so strong now! I was a little nervous because he is still so low in my belly, but I had a doctors appointment today and he said everything is just great! He said that is just how my body is built, and that I will probably carry low the whole time. I feel like this pregnancy is going by so fast! He is gonna be here before we know it! We have been talking a lot about baby names, and really like the name Paxton. Austin calls him that all the time now, and we are 99% sure that is what his name will be.

A few weeks ago Austin's grandparents came down for a little visit, and were nice enough to bring a whole car full of stuff my Aunt Jenny wasn't using any more. We were overwhelmed with all the stuff she gave us! It was a huge blessing, and so generous of her and her family :) I have been trying to organize the closet that will be the baby's and hung up all his little clothes that we have so far. This little boy is seriously going to be spoiled beyond belief!! Everyone has been so giving and generous! I think we are all just so excited to have a boy in the family :D This picture doesn't even do justice to all the  clothes that I have for him so far... I really need to find a dresser that so I can to start putting other things away. I feel like I spend my nights researching everything we need for this baby. It can be so overwhelming, and so exciting at the same time! 

So that is life right now! Only three weeks left of Austin's second year, and then it's time for boards :/ I will be going home again for two weeks so that Austin can get some serious studying done, and so that I won't feel neglected haha

1,760 Miles Apart

This past weekend Austin was able to attend the ACC conference in Chicago! He was so excited to go, and get a better insight into the world of cardiology. While he was off enjoying his weekend vacation, I was left at home for the first time ever! We've almost been married two years, and this was the first time that I had ever been home alone. Not gonna lie, I was scared at first... but thanks to a priesthood blessing, and loving husband who made sure to check up on me all the time, it wasn't as bad as I had expected it to be.

Here is Austin's weekend in pictures....

He got to experience the train in Chicago! We had heard some not so great things about the train, but it turned out to be alright :) 

The lovely Chicago weather :D and downtown life! 

Arriving at the conference.. I think at first he was a little overwhelmed with how big of a deal it was!

Enjoying all the free food, and drinks his heart desired! haha I told him to just show the vendors his badge that said "student" and then they would understand why he kept coming back. Poor med school student basically entitles you to all the free stuff you can get! 

 Nerds mingling with other nerds... I mean cardiac professionals mingling with other cardiac professionals at the heart hub ;D Austin made sure to get all his blood work done while at the conference haha 

 Austin isn't use to eating fruit so when he sent me this picture I couldn't stop laughing! I told Austin he is going to have to learn to eat more fruits & veggies cause doctors don't sit around munching on cookies... haha  

There were so many other things Austin experienced and learned at his conference weekend, but these are just a few of the pics he sent me.

While Austin was living the doctor life, I on the other hand did this with my weekend....

Followed through with some of the pinterest crafts I have seen lately

 Ate frozen pizza while Austin was off eating real Chicago pizza... if you know my love of pizza, then you would know how jealous I am that Austin got to do that! 

 I watched lots, and lots of movies haha  

 Towards the end of the weekend, I realized how bored I was because I found myself watching a woodpecker go at it on the palm tree outside our window. Seriously, I don't know why I was so fascinated with this, but I was! If you can find the bird in this picture then you get a prize cause he does blend in pretty well with the palm tree! 

 I also started on some baby crafts. Made a few burp clothes that turned out super cute, and were extremely easy! 

I worked one night, and spent a lot of time out by the pool, but other than that it was a pretty uneventful weekend. By the time Monday night rolled around, I was beyond excited to pick up my husband!! I am so glad Austin got to go, and he even had some bonding time with my dad who was also at the conference! It did make me feel a little guilty though about me leaving him for weeks on end in the coming months, but he will be so focused on studying he probably won't even know I'm gone! haha

Half Way There!!

I honestly can't believe we have reached the half way mark!! I am not feeling prepared... so much left to do!! I also thought I would be a lot better at keeping up with weekly pictures of myself, but I'm very critical of them once we take a few haha plus sometimes it's hard finding a camera man :)

I saw these questions on a blog, and thought I would fill them out for the 20 week mark!

How far along? 20 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I don't actually know.. I will find out Thursday, but it will defiantly be a gain (cause I feel bigger!)
Maternity clothes? No, but I probably should invest in some maternity jeans. I can't button mine anymore so I'm usually rockin the belly band, or a rubber band haha 
Stretch marks? I think a few, but I'm trying my hardest to lather up my belly every day! 
Sleep: Still sleeping good :)
Best moment this week: Feeling all those kicks, and movements!! 
Miss Anything? Sleeping, or laying on my stomach... I'm starting to find it hard tanning my back side when I'm at the pool.
Movement: All the time, and I love it!! Sometimes I just lay on the couch with my hands on my belly, feeling all those movements. 
Food cravings: Lately I love snacking on plain old goldfish crackers! I feel like a 2 year old... also I'm getting my sweet tooth back... this could be bad for my weight gain.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: Yes! 
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Extremely happy!! :D
Looking forward to:  DECIDING ON A NAME!! We have been testing out a few these past weeks to see if we like how they sound/if they feel right. 

Gifts Galore!

Can I just say how much I love getting gifts when it's not your birthday or Christmas! It's so fun! Over the past few weeks we have received some awesome gifts!

A few days after we found out that our baby was indeed a boy, we received a package in the mail from Ashley (soon to be Aunt Ashley!) I could not get over how cute the clothes were!! I love that she found a cute little BYU shirt for him to wear haha adorable!!

Then on Tuesday we got two more packages, this time from Austin's Uncle Greg. He always does such an awesome job picking out very thoughtful presents. We were like kids on Christmas day waiting to see what was inside.

I had to take a picture of the package because every time we get something from him, this is what it looks like. Such cool handwriting! 

A late birthday present for me. A bracelet to match a turquoise necklace he got me last year! 

 I was so excited to see more cute things for our little guy! He sure is getting spoiled :D I was also beyond pleased with the baby book he found. I have been keeping a little pregnancy journal/scrapbook on my computer, but I wanted an actual book for when the baby was born. I had been looking, but nothing really stood out to me. Well Greg found the coolest baby book I have ever seen! It has pop up and interactive things on every page. I can't wait to start putting in pictures, and journaling all the exciting things our little guy does his first year! 

 Last were these awesome flameless candles that were a late Christmas present. 

I told Greg he needs to send our presents late every year, because sometimes I think it is more fun getting gifts randomly in the middle of March! Austin and I are so grateful for all of our family members, and how thoughtful and kind they can be. We really are blessed, and love them all!!

What Goes Up, Must Come Down

This past week had some very exciting moments, and then some not so great ones... I guess that is life though. You can't just keep sailing by without a few storms to throw you for a loop. I will start with the best moment from last week :)

I felt our little guy moving!! I started feeling things that kind of felt like muscle spasms Thursday night while watching TV. The doctor had told me to start looking for signs of him moving around, and while at first I didn't want to get my hopes up and believe I could feel him, every day since I have felt those same movements so I know that it is him down there. I mostly feel him move when I'm laying down at night. Feeling these first movements has been one of my favorite things so far about pregnancy! I find myself getting paranoid if I haven't felt him yet that day, but once I do I just can't stop smiling :) I hope that they will get stronger soon so that Austin can feel these movements too! I also hope that we will come up with a name soon so I can actually start calling him something. For some reason I didn't think picking out a name would be so hard for us, but it is!

On Friday I was out shopping around and what do you know, my car decided it didn't want to start anymore! Austin and I soon came to realize that only having one working car isn't very fun... luckily we have awesome friends down here who were willing to help us out. Austin was able to borrow one of his friend's car to come pick me up so I wouldn't be stranded at Home Goods anymore. Baby bug got her first towing experience! It took two different auto places, and three days to figure out what was wrong with the bug. We found out that something was wrong with my key, and basically the anti-theft system kept kicking on, not allowing me to start my car. We got it fixed for a lot cheaper than we were expecting which was a huge blessing in disguise!

I will try not to make all my posts about pregnancy, but to be honest that is the most exciting thing going on in our life right now! haha Austin is studying for boards and school every waking hour of the day, and I am either sitting around at the pool/on the couch or I'm working. That is life right now :D